Menneisyys
07-05-2005, 01:02 PM
Unfortunately, a standardized, non-HTTP-based interface for browsing, downloading and installing Pocket PC software has always been missing from the Pocket PC platform. This is no longer the case - we have a solution.
Dweller (http://dweller.wififofum.org), as of 05/Jul/2005, is a promising initiate (if you don’t count the server-only FreeCab’s) to overcome the problems caused by “traditional” Internet-based resources of software repositories like Handango, Pocket PC Freewares (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com) or Freeware Pocket PC (http://freewareppc.com/)
- they all use HTTP, which has the following problems:
1. slow (HTML markup has tons of useless markup code not related to the application itself)
2. browsers, especially on QVGA devices, may render pages so bad that the most important information (a description of a program) will hardly be seen
3. being a generic protocol not able to access, for example, the registry of the Pocket PC to read the list of already-installed software (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15551), all it offers ‘auto-opening’ a CAB file after downloading and no other goodies.
- If you can put up with the problems above, most likely they will have desktop Windows .EXE installers instead of CAB files that are directly executable with a Pocket PC, without using any kind of desktop PC. Much as in cases some manual hacking (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14246) will work, there will remain a lot of cases when don’t – you can’t just rename the EXE file to a ZIP file to access the CAB files inside.
- you also need to separately install other tools (the well-knownCabInstl, or, even better, FileDialogChanger (http://www.vancouverpocketpc.com/CAB_installation_tweak.html)) if you want to install your program to a storage card or File Store and not in the main memory. This is also taken care by Dweller, eliminating the need for serious system hacking when enabling FileDialogChanger.
Dweller to the rescue! :)
This application provides access to a (currently pretty small, but it will most likely grow, particularly if a lot of software developers understand why distributing their software is much better for Pocket PC-only clients than via ‘traditional’ ways) number of PPC software. They are in categories (see the drop-down list in the upper right corner) and also show if a given app is already installed on the PDA (in this example, the PHM Registry Editor (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16508)):
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller1.gif
As can be seen, programs also have a small description, so, you will know what you install.
Tap-and-hold he program you wish to install and choose Install:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller2.gif
A download status bar will appear and the CAB install file will be downloaded:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller3.gif
And, at last, a decent (!) Save As screen will be presented, where you can choose the target drive (which can be the built-in File Store or any memory card) and also directory (in this case, “Program Files” on the SD card):
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller5.gif
The .lnk files inside \Windows\Start Menu will be automatically created, with the right contents
Tested on: Pocket Loox 720. Can be installed into storage cards; doesn’t put anything into main memory.
Minor anoyances :
- not all listed apps work (for example, the VNC client) – they are downloaded (to the root diretory) but aren’t executed
- subdirectory names will always end with a . (period). This can be ugly; it doesn’t affect usability, though.
- It can’t directly access the FreeCab’s database (http://www.freecabs.de/)
Bottom line: A really pioneering application – I recommend it!
Other URL’s: Pocket PC Freewares also has a thorough description (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1290) of the program.
Dweller (http://dweller.wififofum.org), as of 05/Jul/2005, is a promising initiate (if you don’t count the server-only FreeCab’s) to overcome the problems caused by “traditional” Internet-based resources of software repositories like Handango, Pocket PC Freewares (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com) or Freeware Pocket PC (http://freewareppc.com/)
- they all use HTTP, which has the following problems:
1. slow (HTML markup has tons of useless markup code not related to the application itself)
2. browsers, especially on QVGA devices, may render pages so bad that the most important information (a description of a program) will hardly be seen
3. being a generic protocol not able to access, for example, the registry of the Pocket PC to read the list of already-installed software (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15551), all it offers ‘auto-opening’ a CAB file after downloading and no other goodies.
- If you can put up with the problems above, most likely they will have desktop Windows .EXE installers instead of CAB files that are directly executable with a Pocket PC, without using any kind of desktop PC. Much as in cases some manual hacking (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14246) will work, there will remain a lot of cases when don’t – you can’t just rename the EXE file to a ZIP file to access the CAB files inside.
- you also need to separately install other tools (the well-knownCabInstl, or, even better, FileDialogChanger (http://www.vancouverpocketpc.com/CAB_installation_tweak.html)) if you want to install your program to a storage card or File Store and not in the main memory. This is also taken care by Dweller, eliminating the need for serious system hacking when enabling FileDialogChanger.
Dweller to the rescue! :)
This application provides access to a (currently pretty small, but it will most likely grow, particularly if a lot of software developers understand why distributing their software is much better for Pocket PC-only clients than via ‘traditional’ ways) number of PPC software. They are in categories (see the drop-down list in the upper right corner) and also show if a given app is already installed on the PDA (in this example, the PHM Registry Editor (http://pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16508)):
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller1.gif
As can be seen, programs also have a small description, so, you will know what you install.
Tap-and-hold he program you wish to install and choose Install:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller2.gif
A download status bar will appear and the CAB install file will be downloaded:
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller3.gif
And, at last, a decent (!) Save As screen will be presented, where you can choose the target drive (which can be the built-in File Store or any memory card) and also directory (in this case, “Program Files” on the SD card):
http://www.winmobiletech.com/072005Dweller/Dweller5.gif
The .lnk files inside \Windows\Start Menu will be automatically created, with the right contents
Tested on: Pocket Loox 720. Can be installed into storage cards; doesn’t put anything into main memory.
Minor anoyances :
- not all listed apps work (for example, the VNC client) – they are downloaded (to the root diretory) but aren’t executed
- subdirectory names will always end with a . (period). This can be ugly; it doesn’t affect usability, though.
- It can’t directly access the FreeCab’s database (http://www.freecabs.de/)
Bottom line: A really pioneering application – I recommend it!
Other URL’s: Pocket PC Freewares also has a thorough description (http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=1290) of the program.